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Standing back on your feet after an airline bankruptcy: Advice from an ex-airberliner

The relationship between the airline and Flight Crew is often compared to being married. When an airline goes bust, this marriage is destroyed overnight. So, with no time to grieve and vent frustrations pilots just need to seek a new relationship. Many of the pilots have worked for years or decades for this airline and have no idea how to apply, prepare and conduct assessments/interviews. They need help but first they need to admit it...

I am one of those pilots and I am speaking from experience. I have lived through the airberlin bankruptcy and after 8 months of unemployment I am working again. After reviewing everything which I did and having many discussions with colleagues, I decided to write this with some good and bad experiences. Everyone’s situation is different, and we should all respect the decisions which other colleagues have made regardless of whether we agree with them or not.

I personally had the luxury of having a contract where I was permanently and directly employed, which meant that following the bankruptcy, I could and did apply for unemployment benefits. This is something that is not available to the many atypically employed pilots in our industry. Additionally, I have been employed for over 10 years which means that my unemployment benefits were paid in full and I also had little debt. So, a luxury problem! Many colleagues in airberlin did not have this luxury, many had just begun their career with a huge debt; many had just returned from 3 years in the Gulf, so no unemployment benefits. Personal and family situations dictated to many which options were open for them.

After an airline bankruptcy, your search for work will quickly develop into two paths, those that must take the first job available and those who can wait for a good offer.

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2 paths

After an airline bankruptcy, your search for work will quickly develop into two paths, those that must take the first job available and those who can wait for a good offer.

Those who must take the first job:
This will usually be caused by family or debt reasons, sometimes it is also a panic reaction. Some companies unfortunately use this to offer atypical employment or below market contracts. If you have to accept the contract, then do so but have a lawyer review it so you know what you are getting into. If the new employer refuses to give you a copy of the contract in advance, this should raise alarm bells; such type of contract are not designed for a long-term employment relationship, more the basis for a dictatorship, which is not good in a job where safety decisions must be made on a daily basis.

Those who can wait for a good offer:
Let your emotions and mental state settle, you will need a clear head for the interviews with companies, especially for those that offer good terms and conditions as there is a lot of competition. But also set realistic goals and learn about the market and decide what changes you can except.

Those who can wait for a good offer:
Let your emotions and mental state settle, you will need a clear head for the interviews with companies, especially for those that offer good terms and conditions as there is a lot of competition. But also set realistic goals and learn about the market and decide what changes you can except.

A few dos and don´ts for interviews and assessments

Prepare for the personal interview, every company will want you to be knowledgeable about them. Most often the company’s website is the best resource but also ask colleagues who work there for help.

Make sure you are psychologically fit, your stress levels will be extremely high; black-outs are not uncommon. Go to your union and ask for help, many have people trained to assist in these circumstances. In Germany, Stiftung Mayday is also well known, extremely discrete and has helped many. Remember you have just had a major personal crisis, do not let your ego get in the way.

Be honest, sincere and be yourself. Your answers should be your own, “borrowing" answers from others may seem clever but often backfires; when the interviewers often hear the same answers again and again it is quickly apparent that the answer is not genuine and sincere. The internet is a good place to find typical interview questions, practice with family, friends and in front of a mirror, be attentive to your body language.

Prepare for the assessment, many companies do personality/phycological assessments with role play. There are many books out there which can help. Google “Assessment Center for Managers” in your native language or the language of the interview and either buy/borrow a few and study them.

Prepare for the simulator, many quickly book a few hours and hope for the best. Try to find out which profile you will be flying and make sure that your raw data and management skills are working. Everyone who flies an Airbus knows what the sequence is during a non-normal, but do you know it well enough to perform under pressure?

A few dos and don´ts for interviews and assessments #pilots

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Do not apply for dozens of jobs which you are not interested in. Following the airberlin bankruptcy, many pilots who did not want to move to certain countries, still applied for jobs with airlines in those countries, many passed the interview and assessment but not one accepted the job offer. This caused some of those airlines to block any further airberliners from applying.

Do a social media check of your profiles and clean anything that could be misinterpreted by people who do not know you (incl. comments about your previous employment and anything you wouldn’t want a new employer to see or read).

If you are not sure which direction to go, talk to a larger or highly-recommended broker, they usually have a large number of offers on the books with good the terms and conditions. Your local Union should also be able to help in this aspect. Both the Union and the Broker should be able to help with your CV, interview and assessment preparation. If the Union is not prepared but wants to help, ask them to get in touch with union reps that help colleagues prepare for interviews and share their own experiences or ask if it’s possible to organize a roadshow. A roadshow can include both workshops on how to prepare for future opportunities and enable potential employers introduce themselves.

Have your contract reviewed before signing, you probably cannot change anything in it but at least you will know what is expected of you. This can be very important if you are not happy with your new job and continue to search for one which fits you better. Notice of termination, bonding, liability, termination payments, etc. are all things we have found hidden in employment contracts.

The interview is passed, and you begin working

Remember you are on probation, you will be examined very carefully, and your contract terminated while on probation if you do not fit in. Probation differs per country, be aware of what applies to you.

Do not become a cheerleader. Every company has a good side and a side which could be better, no company is perfect; the same applies to the employees. Go into the new company with your eyes open, learn the new procedures and give the usual 110%. The new employee who constantly praises the new company in a cheerleader fashion is often not taken seriously by management, this is not to say that if asked you can’t honestly state you are very happy to be employed here and look forward to long term employment relationship.

The suggestions above will not provide all of the answers but may help as a guide. Just remember a bankruptcy is an extremely stressful situation and is out of your control. You must make the best of a bad situation and go forward, going into interviews/assessments unprepared will only result in failure. Many will not have been interviewed for years and the process has changed, reach out and ask for help.

About the author

The author is an ex-airberlin pilot who has asked to remain anonymous as he/she is on probation with a new airline but still wanted to share his/her experience.

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